No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: A Process Analysis

Abstract

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was enacted because of the low test scores that many schools were producing. “NCLB is a federal mandate, which simply stated, requires that schools make Adequate Yearly Progress each year until 2014, when every child has to perform at grade level in reading and math” (Rashid & Johnson, 2011, p. 52). The main goal of NCLB was to improve upon instructional methods in order to benefit achievement in students. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 was and still is a controversial bill affecting the entire nation. Over the course of this paper, the legislative process will be analyzed. The bill was presidentially driven and passed by Congress. Many of the unorthodox methods will be identified in relation to both presidential and congressional actions. In many instances, it is noticed that Democrats and Republicans alike are unhappy with the piece of legislation. In addition, “states themselves have begun aggressively pushing back against No Child Left Behind” (Toch, 2011). Faculty Adviser: Carl Cavalli.